Path of Trials
by Atriiwriter
Summary: A young boy searching for his sister takes on the title of Pokemon Trainer. As he starts down this journey of tribulations will he rise to the occasion or fall to the ever twisting chaos around him. I do not own Pokemon or any of their trademarks or characters they belong to their respective owners. This is simply a non-profit fan fiction made for fun. Enjoy


**Path of Trials**

Breath deep, focus on your goal, and push all other thoughts away. Don't stress over the small details just let your training and instincts lead. That's it, just like that and you're on your way to becoming whatever you want to be. Hmm, no matter what never give up on a worthy dream go for broke or don't go at all. I believe your gonna be a great trainer some day lil' bro.

With a great sigh the black haired boy withdrew from his memory and focused on the task at hand. Looking up to the shelf a good two feet above him the child stretched out his entire four foot five body reaching for a peculiar item. He knew it was an exercise in vain to try in stretch two feet that's why he put his hand on the lowest shelf and gripped it firmly in his small yet strong hand. If he was quick enough maybe just maybe he could reach the object on the top shelf without the whole thing toppling over on him.

Just as he was about to jump and attempt his scheme a soft hand gently rested on his head. With a vocal hum the young boy turned to find his mother directly behind him gently smiling at his antics, which the boy was prompt to abort. The, slightly taller, woman shook her head lightly from side to side in amusement as she pulled a foot stool out from under the hanging shelf with her foot. Stepping onto the stool the mother easily reached the item sitting in the middle of the top shelf and returned to the floor. She held said object out to her son with an open palm and light chuckle, her dark blue eyes framed by her dark hair were alight with amusement.

The red and white orb within his mother's hand had enraptured the boy's attention and he reached slowly out for it. The little sphere was just big enough to fit into an adults palm though younger people required the use of fingers to properly hold it, it was a single object but split in two by a metallic band the looped the entirety of the sphere, a large circular button it's middle. The top of the orb was colored red while the bottom was white, the child knew that there were similar balls such as this some colored exactly as the one in his mother's hand, others different. But this orb was different from all those copies; this orb belonged to his big sister and was the first of these objects she had owned.

The boy's green-blue eyes gleamed with reverence and longing as he gingerly accepted the orb from his mother. Wrapping his fingers around the ball the child turned away from his mother and walked over to the couch directly behind them, his pajama bottoms swishing with each bare-footed step. Cradling the sphere in both hands the boy sat down on the sofa feet on the floor as was proper, while his mother came round the couch and coffee table to turn on the TV. After which she came back around and sat in a crook of the couch and flipped one leg over her other's knee while making sure her nightgown was smoothed out under her rump.

On the TV an elderly man wearing a navy blue suit with a yellow tie appeared "Good morning ladies and gentlemen today we here at Kalos1 bring you the first hand story of some of our rising Pokémon trainers. We'll have a countdown of our top five trainers from around the region to start off so without further adieu let us begin. Over to you Mark." The camera panned over to a younger man wearing a brown suit with a green tie siting with five other people some teens and others older all with various, less formal clothing. The black haired boy who sat on the couch took a quick glance of trainers on the TV then huffed in annoyance, his sister wasn't among them.

The young newscaster began his countdown at number five, the camera focusing on a strawberry blonde girl in her late teens. " Number five on our list this year is Miss Yonda, an eighteen year old trainer who favors flying-type Pokémon and even beat each gym leader with her partner Talon Flame. Have you any comment on your success Miss Yonda?" The young woman laughed nervously "Well… I guess I just had a lot of support from my family and friends ya know? With them standing behind me I felt like I could accomplish anything. So thanks everyone for all the help!" She finished with a peace sign and smile to the camera meant for all her family and friends that had helped her through her journey.

With a nod of approval Mark moved on to the next trainer an elderly man who had obviously seen his fair share of battle, if his grey hair had anything to say. "Now on to our number four, Mr. Russo! A veteran of battle with over three hundred battles under his belt this seasoned trainer prefers rock-type Pokémon for their high defense and harmful attack. When he was younger he was often referred to as The Demon of Stone, for his great ability in battle and his type preference. Though his adventuring days are over this old coot can still be seen in battle with younger trainers today, anything to add Mr. Russo?" The veteran closed his eyes in thought for a moment before he rumbled out a low "no."

The newscaster nodded once more and moved on to a brown haired boy no older than thirteen. "And now on to number three, the young Cassius! This young man hails from Ambrette Town and favors Water-type Pokémon. He's only begun his adventure but already has three gym badges to his name! And until just recently he was undefeated in battle with his trusty partner Gyarados. Have you anything more to add Cassius?" The brunette glared at Mark in annoyance "Only that I won't be beaten again!" At this exclamation the black haired boy and his mother shared a snigger knowing that just that sort of arrogance could lead you to defeat time after time.

The young newscaster nodded once more then moved on to another teenaged girl this one about thirteen years old with honey colored hair. "Now on to number two, miss Julia! This shy young lady hails from Geosnge Town and favors psychic and ghost type Pokémon, though she is known to throw out all sorts of different types. Only two weeks into her adventure and already she and her partner Wynaut are making gym leaders sweat with worry at her skill in battle. Anything you'd like to add young lady?" Julia looked at the camera blushed then looked away whimpering out a quiet no while fussing over her purple dress and its frills. The dark haired woman looked over at her son to see him staring at the girl on the TV "What you staring at Atrii? Could it be you think that girl is pretty?" Her child glanced over to her and without even smirking "Mom, the oatmeal's burnt." Turning and craning her neck to see the older woman shouted and practically jumped from her seat to save their breakfast.

On the TV the camera had shifted to an African-American male in his late teens with his hair shaved close to his skull. "Next we have our number one trainer of the month, Jamal Peirce! A regular to our top five for the past two years! He favors Electric-type Pokémon and has had no problem shocking both the gym leaders and the league with his powerful skill in battle. He and his partner Jolteon have only tasted defeat at the hands of one of our favorite trainers who was unable to make it here today. Do you have anything to say Jamal?" The young man smiled brightly at the camera "Just this; Shalom Wils, wherever you are hope we meet again soon so we can have another amazing battle!" Mark nodded "Well that's all for our top five so back to you-" Atrii abruptly turned the television off holding the poke-ball in one hand before walking around the couch and heading into the dining room where he sat the orb in the chair next to his.

The boy would have gone into the kitchen to help his mother but as he was going she came in holding two bowls "Go ahead and sit down honey I've got this." Atrii did as he was asked and sat down opposite of his mom. Setting down the plates his mother took her seat and began to eat her son following suit all was quiet until they finished. Atrii gathered the utensils and bowels and went to wash them while his mother replaced the poke-ball on the shelf by the stairs. Atrii walked past her and up the stairs, she followed after him and stopped just outside his door directly to the left of the steps, he'd forgotten to shut the door before changing his clothes again not that it bothered her personally.

She watched as he folded his pajama top and bottoms then he turned to see her at his door walked to her palmed her stomach asking her to move. The woman sighed and crossed her arms "Use words please." The boy mumbled something "louder please, I want to hear that lovey voice," A sigh "Please move I need to get changed" his mother smiled "thank you dear, I'll be downstairs for a few minutes if you need anything Atrii." The boy nodded and shut the door when she was a respectful distance away while the mother turned to go to her own room. She stopped by a small table with a photo sitting on it; in the picture were her deceased husband, herself, and both her children from when Shalom was five and Atrii barely a year old. Everyone was smiling in the picture, Shalom had managed to even coax her young sibling to smile and even now when she thought of her daughter and her son's friendship she smiled. Where was her happy little boy that didn't mind to speak to his own family? She already knew the answer though and just the thought of her husband and his brother made her tremble in both grief and anger.

The door to her Son's bedroom opened and Atrii stepped out wearing a plain black V-neck tee with an unusually long armband on his left arm spanning from his wrist to his elbow, brown shorts that went just passed the knees and black socks which covered part of his shins. He took a glance at her then quickly looked away "I'll be outside if you need me mom." The woman looked again at the photo from the corner of her eye only to realize that she had her hand on it, she was quick to remove the appendage from the frame but Atrii was already gone. She sighed deeply, what a spectacular morning this had turned out to be the mother silently wondered if it could get any worse.

Downstairs, the boy tied on his ankle length boots and placed his short-billed ranger hat on his head before walking outside. Warm sunlight immediately graced his peachy skin and the boy didn't hesitate to bask in it by taking a walk, heading directly towards the woods just outside of town. Camphrier Town wasn't exactly what you would call bustling if anything it was just a small rural town with a beautiful wood surrounding it and Atrii was ready and willing to explore it even if he didn't have a Pokémon partner with him. Most wildlife left him alone anyways though he did occasionally stop to observe them in their wild habitat, watching from a distance was as close as he allowed himself to get though personal space and all that. Today though he just wanted to find his private section in the foliage lay back, take a snooze and maybe try and call his sister over the holo-vid. She was late for her annual visit and he missed her sorely.

Finding a shady tree some half hour or so from town Atrii decided that the location would be perfect to relax under and so took a seat by its base. He closed his eyes and breathed in deep, remembering everything about his sister and picturing her right next to him, holding him close. Opening his eyes an entirely different view greeted him, Red eyes set behind a snout of black fur with a blue head and ears was a Pokémon right between his knees "lu" it chimed. The boy sunk in shock didn't know how to respond at first but a yelp of surprise eventually tore through his vocals causing the Pokémon to step back a little in its own shock. Atrii planted his hands against the tree and almost dared not to breath, the little black and blue colored Pokémon remained standing in front of the boy on its hind legs arms at its side.

The small Pokémon seemed to sense his fear, confusion passed through its eyes before it seemed to smile at the boy "lulu" it vocalized. At first Atrii didn't know what to think but a feeling of peace and calm gently washed over him and the boy relaxed. "I guess your not aggressive huh?" the small Pokémon gave another "lu" in response reaching a hand inside his pocket the boy pulled out a honey granola bar and broke it in half. Holding out one half he asked, "want some?" the little creature chimed in the affirmative and the boy gave it half the two munched in peace and Atrii found an unusual smile playing at his lips watching the small Pokémon eat.

Working his way back through his memories Atrii tried to recall what this Pokémon was called, he focused back to his sister's earlier adventuring days when she was still only exploring the Kalos region. Finally the name came to him "Riolu… you're a Riolu right?" the little creature perked up at the boy's voice and coursed off a few "lus" to express it's agreement. Atrii simply stared in amazement at the Pokémon before him "What are you doing out here then? Your type isn't normally around this area." Hearing the boy speak the Riolu gave a sad moan in response as though it had understood his words the boy said nothing in response he could feel the creature's pain and sorrow.

Atrii didn't know when the bond between them had formed but feeling out at it the boy could tell it was solid, he looked up at the sky "So you've had it rough too huh?" and fell quiet. The boy didn't freeze up when he felt the Riolu nuzzle up against him, it felt natural, then his holo-caster beeped out annoyingly. The child checked his watch and stood up, it was lunchtime and since he'd only gotten half of his snack he was hungrier than usual. A tug at his shorts brought his attention downwards to the Riolu next to him "I'm not sure how mom will take me bringing a Pokémon home so don't hold me accountable for any yelling that goes on." The little Riolu beamed at him "LU!" and the two began the walk home.

The Wils Matriarch pulled a shallow dish from the oven with four pieces of honey glazed chicken on it and set it down on a few oven mitts on the counter. Turning to the stove she checked the mashed potatoes and green beans to ensure both were done before turning the heat off and grabbing two plates. She heard the door open announcing the arrival of her son but paused in her dinner arrangements when the mother noticed a lapse in the timing of her son shutting the door, did he bring a friend? The woman smiled full of hope that her son was finally socializing for the first time in years this could be a turn for the best.

Stepping around the corner and into the dining room empty-handed she was going to greet her son and his supposed friend. The mother stopped when she saw a two foot four inch Riolu standing next to her boy surprise written all over her face. "Atrii, is that a Pokémon?" the boy gave a nervous chuckle "It found me in the woods and decided to come along with me. So~~~ can I keep it?" The woman stood shocked for a minute then smiled and frowned again "Why are you both covered in mud? More importantly why are you getting it on my carpet?" The boy looked down to see his boots smeared in a brown substance Riolu's legs as well "Actually I don't think that's mud and the story is quite long." His mother grew a dark and disgusted expression on her face "get upstairs with your Riolu and hit that shower… now."

The boy gulped loudly but stepped back onto the hard wood in front of the door dragging Riolu with him light brown tracks the only evidence the two had been on the blue floor. With his shoes and socks removed Atrii picked Riolu up in his arms and headed straight for the bath while his mother with her dark mood present went to clean the mess on her carpet. The cleaning supplies in her hands the mother got down on her hands and knees to clean the brown substance from her floor when a sobering thought came to mind 'I guess it's his turn then huh.' A family house empty with just her to mind it while both her children ran around the region capturing Pokémon. For her son to go on an adventure would be a beautiful change in his demeanor, the mother loved her child very much but she would be glad to see him go out into the world so he could actually live. Her daughter on the other hand well, her daughter was grown up so she couldn't say much there but the brat could at least show up once in awhile or call for that matter. Why wasn't Shalom calling? That wasn't like her daughter to not call if only to check on her baby brother at least.

With the mess cleaned up and both her son and his newfound partner clean as well the Wils Matriarch settled down to dinner with her child having made a separate dish of food for the Riolu as well. She stared at her son fondly for a moment and her heart warmed when he looked back at her and smiled as well. Their meal finished uneventfully Atrii cleaned dishes his Riolu following behind to help… supposedly, while his mother sat on the couch relaxing comfortably, if that was possible in blue jeans. As her son attempted to walk up stairs his mother called to him "Hey kiddo c'mere." The boy paused on the first step then turned and walked to his mom who was waving her had at him to approach. When he was within arm's length she grabbed him and gently laid him on her lap then cradled him in her arms despite that his legs hung awkwardly away from the rest of his body the child didn't fight the embrace. She observed him lovingly remembering all the times she held him as a small baby tracing his soft features with her eyes, his small pointed nose, his high forehead, his cheeks not too high or low, and his rounded chin. She wouldn't ever forget these features or those of her daughter.

She placed a kiss on his forehead and then released him, his eyes bright with curiosity at her behavior then he shrugged, a mother thing perhaps, and went upstairs his Riolu following after a long look to the boy's mother. She sighed a long breath of air escaping her lips, how time truly did fly by, would her son even know how much his mother loved him that it wasn't just his sister that cared so deeply for him? Eventually he would she was sure, for although young he was an intelligent child and athletic too though most wouldn't know such a thing when looking at his lithe body. Still how fast time seemed to flow, too fast for her liking but just fast enough for though riding the current.


End file.
